WELLS OF KANKAKEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 653 



KANKAKEE COUNTY. 

 GENERAL STATEMENT. 



This county is situated on the eastern border of the State immediately 

 south of Will County, and has an area of 680 square miles, with Kankakee 

 as the county seat. The Kankakee River leads westward through its cen- 

 tral portion. The greater portion of the county is imperfectly drained, 

 there being - extensive marshes and sandy areas in the southeastern part, and 

 a very level surface in the western, while the northern portion is character- 

 ized by occasional sloughs and marshes. 



The drift is a comparatively thin deposit along the Kankakee River 

 and its borders throughout the county, but the western, southern, and 

 northeastern portions of the county have a sheet of drift probably not less 

 than 100 feet in average thickness. In the vicinity of the Kankakee the 

 drift consists mainly of gravel or sand, but in its thicker portions on the 

 borders of the county there is generally present a heavy sheet of till. 



The wells are of moderate depth throughout the county, there being 

 very few which reach 100 feet, even in the portions where it is necessary 

 to drill into rock. 



INDIVIDUAL WELLS. 



The public water supply for the city of Kankakee is pumped from 

 the Kankakee River, but there are numerous drilled wells in the city 30 to 

 90 feet in depth. A small till ridge leading eastward from the vicinity of 

 the courtdiouse affords water at depths of 20 to 60 feet without entering 

 rock. Throughout much of the city, however, rock is found at a depth of 

 10 feet or less. 



A well sunk on the south side of the Kankakee opposite the city 

 reached a depth of 1,000 feet, entering St. Peter sandstone at 900 feet. 

 The water rises within 15 feet of the surface, or to about 605 feet above tide. 



At Momence the wells are obtained in limestone at a depth of 12 to 80 

 feet. A strong well can usually be obtained at a depth of 30 feet. The 

 wells are generally about 5 inches in diameter and are reported to be 

 practically inexhaustible. 



In the southeast township of the comity several flowing wells have 

 been obtained from sand below a gray clay at depths ranging from 30 to 



